Nutrition Assistant II

Penrose Hospital; United States; On-site; USD 36,000 - 48,000; Full time

Job summary

Penrose Hospital in Colorado Springs is seeking a Nutrition Assistant II to support healthcare food service operations and ensure dietary compliance for patients.

You will collaborate with facility staff to prepare and serve meals according to prescribed diets, maintain safety and hygiene standards, and use electronic diet office software to access diet orders and reports. A patient-centered approach and excellent customer service are essential.

Qualifications

• One year food service experience.
• High School Diploma, GED, or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• If a Food Handler Permit is a requirement by your state, county or local health code, you must obtain it within 30 days of hire or as required by your state, county or local health code.

Responsibilities

• Support all aspects of healthcare food service operations.
• Ensure meals are prepared and served in compliance with patient diet orders.
• Provide excellent customer service to patients, guests, and staff.
• Prepare and serve food according to menu and dietary requirements.
• Adhere to food safety standards: monitor temperatures, prevent cross-contamination, label and store items properly.
• Access diet orders and nutritional reports using electronic diet office software.

Skills

Food service experience

Education

High School Diploma, GED, or equivalent

Job description

Where You'll Work

Penrose - St. Francis Health Services is a full-service, 712-bed acute care provider in Colorado Springs comprising Penrose Hospital, St. Francis Hospital and St. Francis Hospital - Interquest. Penrose Hospital serves as the anchor hospital of Penrose-St. Francis Health Services with 300-licensed beds and the ability to provide tertiary (high tech) medical-surgical services with an emphasis on elective and outpatient care. Established in 1890, Penrose Hospital has grown to become a major health treatment and referral center, specializing in cancer care, cardiac care, emergency trauma care and physical rehabilitation. It's an incredible time to join us as we are a proud Magnet Hospital with designation from the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) for superior quality in nursing care. With more than 300 days of annual sunshine, mild winters and easy-to-access recreational areas like Pikes Peak, Garden of the Gods and some of Colorado's top destination resorts, you will enjoy an incredible lifestyle while having the career you've always wanted.

Job Summary and Responsibilities

As our Nutrition Assistant II, you will participate in and support all aspects of healthcare food service operations. You will play a key role in ensuring that our dietary services are executed efficiently and in full compliance with established standards.

Every day, you will work with facility staff to provide optimal nutritional care to our patients. By utilizing the diet manual handbook and diet spreadsheets, you will ensure that every meal served is in strict compliance with the patient's prescribed diet order.

To be successful in your role, you will demonstrate excellent customer service to patients, guests, and staff. Your ability to combine technical accuracy with a compassionate, professional approach is essential to delivering high-quality nutritional support.

Prepare and serve food according to menu and dietary requirements, utilizing necessary kitchen equipment while maintaining knowledge of ingredients to address food allergy requests.

Adhere to healthcare foodservice standards and regulations by monitoring food temperatures, preventing cross-contamination, maintaining personal hygiene, and ensuring proper labeling and storage of all food, equipment, and machinery.

Provide a high-quality patient experience by ensuring accurate meal portioning, aesthetic presentation, and service recovery, escalating issues to leadership when necessary.

Follow therapeutic diet modifications and allergy restrictions for all patient meals, nourishments, and snacks, while utilizing electronic diet office software and health records to access diet orders and nutritional reports.

Act as a communication liaison by explaining basic therapeutic diets to patients and families, collecting food preferences, and escalating complex clinical nutrition questions to the appropriate support team.

Support efficient department operations by managing production tools, performing general cleaning of work areas and equipment, and completing other duties as assigned by leadership.

Job Requirements

Required

• One (1) year food service experience
• High School Diploma, GED, or equivalent combination of education and experience
• If a Food Handler Permit is a requirement by your state, county or local health code, you must obtain it within 30 days of hire or what is required by your state, county or local health code.*

Food Handler Permit Requirements by State and County

• Arizona - Maricopa, Yavapai - ANSI Accredited FHP or ServSafe
• California - Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego
• Kansas - Leavenworth
• Kentucky - Jessamine, Fayette, Madison, Montgomery
• Nebraska - Lancaster
• Nevada - Clark
• Oregon
• Texas - ANSI Accredited FHP or Servsafe
• Utah
• Washington - Food Handler Permit required upon hire